The present invention is directed to bending presses for sheet metal and like workpieces wherein a top die operates in cooperation with a bottom die to bend the workpiece into conformity with the cooperating, opposed surfaces thereof. More particularly, it is directed to such bending presses in which there are included work support elements to support the workpiece in a work plane and positioning elements to move the workpiece on the support elements into predetermined positions for bending of the workpiece at multiple and precise locations thereabout.
Bending presses for sheet metal and the like are widely employed to form one or more bends. In some instances, these presses utilize complicated and expensive dies configured to provide plural bends with a single stroke of the ram operating the upper die. In still other instances, an operator manually moves the workpiece about a work table to position it with respect to a simple cooperating die set to effect a series of single bends at different positions in the workpiece. More recently, it has been proposed to include workpiece guidance systems to move the workpiece relative to the work station.
Generally, bending presses employ a stop against which the workpiece is moved to effect the desired positioning relative to the work station defined by the upper and lower dies. If the length of the workpiece to the line of the desired bend varies as multiple bends are being formed in the same workpiece, then the stop must be repositioned. Moreover, if the workpiece must be rotated to present an angularly different portion at the work station, this requires manual rotation by the operator.
In most presses, table or other support elements are provided on one side of the work station and they are located in the work support plane so that the bending operation must be conducted in a fashion which will permit the workpiece to bend upwardly; bending downwardly would be obstructed by the work support surface or table.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel bending press which permits precise and rapid positioning and repositioning of the workpiece relative to the work station.
It is also an object to provide such a bending press in which the workpiece may be readily rotated to present an angularly different portion at the work station.
Another object is to provide such a bending press in which the workpiece may be supported prior to the bending operation and wherein the bending operation may readily deform the extending portions either upwardly or downwardly without interference from support surfaces.
A further object is to provide such a bending press in which the cooperating dies may be readily and rapidly interchanged and in which substantially all operations may be conducted in accordance with a predetermined program by use of suitable computer control.
A still further object is to provide a novel and highly efficient method for bending sheet metal and like parts utilizing positioning elements which are rapidly and readily repositionable relative to the work station and providing abutment surfaces to precisely locate the workpiece relative to the work station.
Yet another object is to provide such a method in which multiple bending operations with different configurations and/or dimensions may be readily accomplished upon a workpiece automatically and expeditiously.